Typically, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in particular, bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as naphthalene and alkyl-substituted naphthalene, are the main constituents of inexpensive oils derived from oil. Furthermore, light aromatic hydrocarbons resulting from the hydrocracking of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are generally known as C6˜C13 hydrocarbons including benzene and alkyl-substituted benzene.
Meanwhile, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are converted into light aromatic hydrocarbons using hydrocracking via the following reaction route. Specifically, in the case of a representative bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, that is, naphthalene, when hydrogen is added to naphthalene in the presence of a catalyst, one of the two benzene rings of naphthalene is hydrogenated, so that naphthalene is converted to tetralin one ring of which is a benzene ring and the other ring of which is a naphthene ring. The naphthene ring of the tetralin thus converted is continuously hydrocracked, ultimately obtaining a light aromatic hydrocarbon in which an alkyl group is substituted on the one benzene ring.
Although techniques for producing Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene (hereinafter, BTX) using a hydrocracking catalyst as in the present invention have been already disclosed, they are problematic because the maximum amount of BTX is unattainable. Hence, the production of a maximum amount of BTX from Light Cycle Oil (hereinafter, LCO) is required, and furthermore, increasing attention is being paid to a hydrocracking catalyst enabling such production.